Klarinet Archive - Posting 000214.txt from 2006/10
From: "dnleeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Improvisation and ornamentation example
Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2006 14:06:15 -0400
The singer was Suzanne Mentzer and the recording was under the
direction of Sir Charles Mackerras. However, the presentation of
that aria was not in the part of the recording that presented the
opera front to back. There was a special section added after the
final chorus in which a number of things were given. The
ornamented Voi Che Sapete was one such special item. I think
Mackerras did not want to scare the listening public half to
death, though he did allow a little ornamentation here and there.
And Mentzer did not improvise those ornaments. She used a
little-known set called "The Corri Variations."
While it true that improvisation is supposed to be impetuous and
instantaneously invented, that skill was not in every
singer/player's reportoire. For example, very few classical
players today could sit in a dixieland band and shine. So for
singers to get around the problem, books of ornamentation were
published. There is Luigi Ricci's book which presented all sorts
of ornamentation from one bar up to an entire aria. The book is
from the 19th century. I just sold my only copy of it. It was
also common to have a performance of, for example, Lucia di
Lammermoor, with the program saying something like, "Tonight
Madame xxx will perform the embellishments of Madame yyy." This
even went into the repertoire for band when trumpet players would
do "the variation on xxx as orignally performed by the great
trumpeter zzz."
The death knell for improvisation in music came with the late
Romantic movement. People felt obliged to do Beethoven's works
"exactly as they were written" forgetting the fact that the
editions they were using often contradicted what Beethoven
actually said. Ultimately, purists introduced and championed the
idea that the performer had only the function of reproducing the
music, not of creating any part of it. This was antithentical to
the 18th century where every performer felt himself/herself to be
a part of the creative process.
I'm glad you are experimenting.
Dan Leeson
DNLeeson@-----.net
-----Original Message-----
From: Wayne Thompson [mailto:wthompson222@-----.net]
Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2006 10:33 AM
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: [kl] Improvisation and ornamentation example
Dan wrote, "I posted a musical example of classical
improvisation and ornamentation yesterday but there
has not been any reaction to it. That's surprising
since the subject appears to be of rising interest for
players on this list."
Dan, on my part, this subject requires serious
lurking. I am listening and trying to get the idea.
Five years ago, I would have given no thought to this
subject. I was very interested in the aria. I've
heard this many times and I think have never heard any
ornamentation. Because of this list, I've really
learned a new appreciation of Classical era music.
The next chance I get to read the Mozart quintet, you
may be sure I will look for some chances to insert
some of these ideas. A few months ago I heard Sabine
Meyer and the Tokyo Quartet perform this and was able
to hear her ornamentation with more understanding. I
notice Margaret Thornhill has just posted some sources
for study.
Did you say the source of your example? I may have
missed it. Who sang? Is this sort of thing occurring
more in recordings? What about recordings? They were
unimagined in those times. If the ornaments belong in
the moment, intended to be heard once, how would a
modern performer justify putting an ornament into
something to be listened to many, many times?
More specifically, in the example, I might have
expected the first presentation of the melody to be
simpler, and the end section to have more
ornamentation.
Wayne
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